Tl;dr – If you’ve ever wanted to jet around the world in luxury for, you know, chump change.
I recently published a piece about the Four Seasons’ latest private jet experience, which takes travelers on a world tour with stops at Four Seasons locations where HBO’s popular White Lotus was filmed. I thought it’d be fun to take a look at all the companies that offer similar private-jet-around-the-world-in-luxury offerings. For the avoidance of doubt, all of these experiences are all-inclusive – in that the prices include jet transportation, food (including) alcohol, experiences, and accommodations. Ok, let’s jump into it!
Jet Around the World in Luxury
Four Seasons: For a few years now, the Four Seasons has offered its Journeys product, which puts travelers onboard its branded private A321 jet for their flight from destination to destination. There are several itineraries to choose from, including an around-the-world journey. As you’ve probably guessed, most of the itineraries include stops at destinations where you can lay your head in a Four Seasons hotel. Though branded by Four Seasons, this offering is a white-labeled version of the same product offered by the company below.
TCS World Travel: TCS is a player-coach in this space. It operates its own around-the-world tours and also provides plumbing services for white-labeled offerings from brands such as the Four Seasons (listed above) and the Smithsonian (listed below). You can book these grandiose tours through AMEX as well.
Aman: Through its Aman’s Jet Expeditions offering (limited to 18 guests), Aman offers an unforgettable round-the-world private jet expedition, staying at a selection of Aman properties. This 20-night ‘Around the World in Three Continents’ expedition begins in Japan and stops in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, and Italy before ending in Morocco.
Abercrombie & Kent: Well-known for its African safari tours, Abercrombie & Kent also offers a few around the world tours, including a safari-focused expedition, and an around-the-world tour helmed by the company’s founder, Geoffrey Kent.
National Geographic: The most affordable entry on this list comes from the venerable National Geographic. For as low as $109,995, you can fly onboard a retrofitted Boeing 757 plane that offers 2X2 – 45-degree recline seating. The tour is 25 days long and is led by National Geographic experts, photographers, geographers, and educators. Stops include Machu Picchu, Easter Island, Fiji, the Great Barrier Reef, Siem Reap, Kathmandu, Agra, India, Serengeti, Petra, Jordan, and Marrakech, Morocco.
Smithsonian Journeys: The Smithsonian offers a virtually identical itinerary to NatGeo’s at a slightly higher price point (starting at $150,000), which accounts for a more luxurious experience. As this product is also outsourced to TCS, you’ll fly onboard a fully lay-flat A321 and sleep nights at brands that include the Four Seasons, Belmond, Oberoi, Raffles, and the Luxury Collection.
Honorable Mention
Fairmont: Before the pandemic, Fairmont, in partnership with Airsprint Private Aviation, launched a new travel collection titled “The Origin of Spirits,” porting guests to places like the Riviera Maya, Barbados, and the UK in pursuit of classic cocktail liquors – Tequila, Rum, and Gin. Travelers flew onboard AirSprint’s Embraer Legacy 450s. As it may have been a limited-time venture, I don’t believe it’s operational anymore.
Ok, who’s paying for my seat?
